CFA message about SB 1212 (Romero)

Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 14:11:08 -0700
From: GRO
Subject: GRO WEEKLY REPORT
To: gro@calfac.org
Reply-to: gro@calfac.org
CFA GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE WEEKLY REPORT
PROTECT CSU FACULTY DUE PROCESS RIGHTS: PHASE II CALL TO ACTION
2001 EDITION Issue No. 29
August 10, 2001
CONTENTS:
**PROTECT CSU FACULTY DUE PROCESS RIGHTS: PHASE II CALL TO ACTION
**ATTENTION ALL LOCAL OFFICE CANDIDATES AND CANDIDATES-TO-BE!
PROTECT CSU FACULTY DUE PROCESS RIGHTS: PHASE II CALL TO ACTION
******************WRITE YOUR LETTER ON SB 1212
TODAY!*********************
The CFA GRO is initiating Phase II of its multi-pronged approach to
gain legislative support and the Governor's approval of CFA-sponsored
SB 1212 (Romero). SB 1212 protects a long-standing, hard earned and
most basic labor right ? the right of due process.
Recent collective bargaining disputes with the CSU administration have
included the CSU's desire to reduce and even eliminate faculty due
process rights. Just this year, the CSU administration's contract offer
removed arbitration hearings for faculty challenges to tenure
and job promotion decisions by administrators an offer that was
immediately and soundly rejected by CFA negotiators.
This attack on long-standing labor rights illustrates the tone that
the CSU administration has used in contract discussions. Due process
rights are essential to the protection of academic standards and are a
necessary tool to protect faculty from unjust and unfounded job
actions by administrators. If signed into law, SB 1212 will ensure
that CSU faculty will retain the right to a grievance hearing if they
feel their working conditions or employment have been unjustly
treated. SB 1212 will also prohibit the CSU administration from
attempting to deteriorate due process protections ? a law first
enacted 25 years ago ? through the collective bargaining process. As
with other public employee groups, due process rights should not be
negotiable. We need your help to ensure that the Legislature, and
ultimately Governor Davis, supports this important legislation. We
were very successful in Phase I of our campaign as many of your
letters-to-the-editor were published in local newspapers. Thank you
for your work in making this happen. Now we turn our attention to
Phase II.
For Phase II, we are requesting each of you to WRITE A LETTER to the
ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS IN YOUR AREA. You can find the legislator(s) in
your area by going to www.leginfo.ca.gov, click on the "Your
Legislature" icon, then type in your zip code.
LETTERS NEED TO BE SENT ASAP. A sample letter is located at the end
of this report. Please use this sample letter as a guide only. All
letters may be addressed as follows:
Assemblymember's Name
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Assembly will be voting on SB 1212 soon and GRO staff will keep you
informed of the progress of our efforts.
Please contact us in the GRO by email or phone (916)
441-4848, if you have any questions.
... stuff deleted here (separate article) ...
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****************
SAMPLE LETTER
[TODAY'S DATE]
Assemblymember<92>s Name
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 1212 (Romero) CSU Faculty Due Process Rights Protections ? SUPPORT
Dear Assemblymember [LAST NAME]:
I am a faculty member at [YOUR CAMPUS], and I am writing to register my
strong SUPPORT for SB 1212 (Romero), which protects the due process rights
of California State University faculty. SB 1212 establishes existing law ?
that was first enacted 25 years ago as a minimum level of due process
rights for these employees.
As you know, the right to a hearing to address grievances is one of the
basic cornerstones of labor protections. Under the 1978 Higher Education
Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA), numerous collective bargaining
statutes may be superseded if the negotiating parties agree to such changes.
However, by abusing the intent of this provision, the CSU has repeatedly
attempted to weaken the due process statute through the collective
bargaining process. Most recently, the CSU administration proposed that
faculty give up their right to an arbitration hearing for grievances
addressing tenure and job promotion decisions by administrators.
Due process rights should not be negotiable. As with other public employee
groups who are guaranteed due process, CSU faculty should not be placed in a
position where job standards and working conditions would have to be
compromised to preserve these long-standing statutory safeguards.
To ensure that due process is protected, I request your SUPPORT of SB 1212
(Romero). Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR TITLE, IF ANY]
[YOUR CSU CAMPUS]
[YOUR FULL ADDRESS]
cc: CFA, 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 1950, Sacramento, CA 95814 or FAX: (916)
441-3513